The former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has responded to the allegations of forgery levelled against him by the ruling All Progressives Congress and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, on Sunday in Abuja, Atiku said that his name change from Siddiq to Atiku Abubakar was well documented and publicised in an affidavit dated 18th of August 1973. He said that the affidavit was filed over 50 years ago and was in the public domain.
He also accused Tinubu of being a “master forger” who has lied about his educational qualifications, work experience, and identity. He said that Tinubu’s records at the Chicago State University and his court-ordered deposition in the United States revealed his “litany of forgeries and lies”.
He said that Tinubu forged his secondary school certificate from Government College Lagos, his HSC certificate from Cambridge University, and his transcript from Richard Daley College, which belonged to a female owner. He also said that Tinubu did not graduate from CSU as he had outstanding examinations in English, Mathematics, and Comprehension.
He added that Tinubu lied about his work experience with Arthur Anderson Accounting, Deloitte, and Mobil Nigeria. He said that Deloitte denied ever knowing or employing Tinubu. He also said that Tinubu’s handlers recently added Adekunle, a middle name that appeared on his NYSC certificate, to his Wikipedia page.
He said that Tinubu’s attempt to drag him into the arena of forgery was an attempt to minimise the allegations of forgeries that he had to contend with. He said that Tinubu’s life was a mystery and a closed book, unlike his own life which was an open book.
He said that all his names were traceable to his family tree and that he adopted Atiku Abubakar as his official name while working at the Nigeria Customs Service. He cautioned Tinubu and his team against comparing him with Tinubu, saying that they were not in the same league.
